2: No more

The loud disappointed whistling of the coach was what brought the gym students to attention, they all stood and noted their errors.

"Melinda! Throw it slowly!" Coach Brian yelled stretching his hand pointing to the other side where the victims were. Brian was the coach of Eastern academic, a strong guy with a huge physics, six pack or more, with a define jaws and popped out muscles. Very tight thigh and strong foot. A pure blooded athlete.

"Kay, hmphhh..." Melinda pick the ball throwing it extremely hard out of frustration, it flew across the gym room with such force, going to find a not so gentle stop on Ethan's head, knocking him down with his glasses skidding away. He reached out on the blur floor, searching for his glasses.

The coach shook his head, as he walked over to the helpless cataract patient.

"Stop living in the clouds Ethan, come back to earth and please stay focus, you didn't even see the ball coming." He said feeling concern about his student constant zone out. The other students were laughing out loud at his statement.

Ethan reach for the glasses finally touching it and he slip them on, then he looked down at the floor and mumbled a barely audible "yes sir."

Just then the final bell started blaring...

Ethan quickly made his way out among the group of students in the entrance. He manage to squish himself through the crowd bursting out in the hallways. He walked slowly in the halls trying to make himself as small as possible.

He stopped in front of his locker anxiously, quickly pulling it open with shaky hands and cautiously slipping his books in and grabbing his backpack.

Before he had the time to close the locker, it was slam shut by Dan. The sound made him flinched as he clutch to his book shakily.

"D-d-dan?" He stuttered quietly.

"D-d-dan?" The bully mocked, as the others in the hall laughed. "You're such a loser! Everything about you smells failure, you're a fucking shithead! And a pathetic son of whore, a stupid mistake!" Dan spat, enjoying every sign of pain on the nerd's face.

He shoved Ethan on the floor roughly laughing at his weak fall and his tiny girly shriek along with the others.

"Don't think you're smart, you might have the best results in school, but to be honest you're like a malfunctioning computer nobody wants, jez! look at you! without glasses you can't see! Without a hearing device you're partly deaf! You're just distasteful and Repulsing!" He snatched the digital device off Ethan's left ear throwing it on the floor and smashing it.

Helplessly sitting on the cold floor, Ethan did nothing than cry silently. It was the last he had, his grandpa was more than tired of getting new ones every week.

"Crybaby, crybaby." Dan mocked with a satisfactory grin. Some other student joined to mock a free target.

He also reach for Ethan's glasses staring at them in disgust, almost dropping it when the coach pop out from no where and intervened.

"Daniel give it back!" He ordered, making Daniel roll his eyes as he threw the glasses on Ethan's lap.

"Take your stupid glasses, stupid." With that he walked off.

Brian helped the kid with his scattered books and getting up. He also walked him out of school so he doesn't have any bad encounters. Daniel was just one of his occasional bully, they were as many as the whole school seniors.

Ethan walked the street silently, in his half silent world only catching the loud sound of car honking, the loud engine of a lorry moving past the street, and the screeching sound of a bus coming to a stop.

He perceived the smell of sweet cupcakes, so beautiful and enticing behind the bakery glasses. If not for his unaffectionate habit towards food and his lack of bucks he would practically fly across the street.

He quickly walked pass the shop, deciding to use the zebra crossing as usual to avoid any accidents. He couldn't catch the words on the hotdog seller's discussion, or the gossip of the two woman crossing along with him. He was partly deaf.

Nevertheless it brought him little as his mind was focused on the equation he had seen in a math textbook in the library.

He safely crossed over, heading down the park, catching a glimpse of two couple sitting on the bench holding hands tightly in front of the lake with ducks swimming.

He hated the second part of the park, where the playground was, a lot hell of screaming and noise made him almost thank goodness for having Dan smash his digital hearing device.

He got to the bus stop, waiting under the shelter and hop on his bus. During the ride, he was full on solving half his home work as the ride was still long.

As soon as the bus came to a stop, at his destination, heaven broke loose, releasing a showering rain, he hopped out, running to the watch shop. The one his grandpa owned.

He pushed the door opened jingling the small bell at the same time. His grandpa seating on the desk repairing some old watch didn't bother to look up as he walked to him.

"Hey papi." He croaked in his usual small voice.

"Why are you still in uniform?" The old man grunted.

"Uh, I didn't have time to go home, the rain had already started." He said.

"Mmphh... Grab something in the vendor machine." He threw some coins on the desk. Ethan happily grabbed it and thanked him.

He got a grapes soda and some biscuit cookies. Returning back to his grandpa, he pulled a seat for himself close to the shelf.

Biting his lower lip he debated whether or not to tell his Papi about his device. He didn't have enough money to get another one not just yet though he works at the café during Saturdays and Sundays and whenever he had a break but it wasn't enough.

"What do you want to tell me?" Gregory looked up at his nervous grandson who was fidgeting too much with his soda.

"I-i" Ethan started eyes darting around.

"Hmm?"

"I broke my hearing device, I'm so sorry." He blurted already feeling the tears stinging his eyes.

"Again? How'd it happen this time?" Gregory returned back to working on the watch.

"I-i was h-heading down t-the hall, wh-hen I tripped and f-fell." He said while wiping his nose. A habit that easily gave him away.

Gregory nodded, knowing the truth about his million accidents, he didn't want to make him anxious more than he already was, he really loved the boy though he doesn't show it by gestures.

"I'll go buy another. Watch it next time." Gregory said as usual.

Ethan put up a small smile. His grandpa was harsh and kinda strict, he knew he wasn't that bad, though he had taken a belt to him when he was nine, cause he had tried to climb over a pointed fence to prove his worth to the other kids.

The memories made a huge pang on his chest, he was actually lying to his Papi about his bullies, he wasn't telling. What if he finds out?

"Papi?" He called out slowly.

"Yeah?"

"Uh? Do you, uh, like me?"

"You know the answer."

"Even if I'm disabled?" His voice was barely above a whisper.

Gregory slam him tools down causing Ethan to flinch and shrink in his seat. Getting up Gregory walked to the frightened boy crouching to his height.

"Don't ever say that. You're a special boy, not like others, you're not what you think or what people see. You've got your inner strength, everybody has their flaws and their superpowers too." He said calmly brushing a dusty black lock off his face and wiping his almost dried tears.

"Do you understand?"

"Yes Papi." Ethan responded while wiping his eyes.

Gregory smiled while getting up and ruffling Ethan's dusty black hair. "I'm gone to the pharmacy, will be right back with your new device." He said obtaining a little smile from the boy.

"Just so you know Ethan, learn to stand up for yourself. It is really important in every person's life." After obtaining a hesitant nod from Ethan he exited the shop.

Ethan resumed his Papi's position with his home works scattered on the desk like he always does. He knew the watch so very well and sometimes love the tic' tok it made.

The bell never stop jingling but it wasn't his Papi walking in rather it was customers. He handled them well like his Papi had taught him.

Packing his completed home works he glanced at the clock. 7:30 pm. It was his normal curfew time. He couldn't stay out too late. Not like he wanted to.

Ethan grabbed his bag and the keys before shutting down the electricity and heading home. Five feet on his way home he took out his phone scrolling through the messages for any text from his grandpa. He did saw a voice message of Gregory saying he was already home.

He sigh in relief making his way down the blocks to his home.

The breeze is chilling as usual, the sky already gone dark with twinkling stars, the half moon peaking out from the clouds. Crickets and frogs singing in the field nearby, lights glowing in the windows of many neighbours, shadows could be seen and maybe voices lifting high could be heard too. Couples.

He stood on his porch cleaning his shoes on the foot mat. He unlocked the door with his spare keys not wanting to bother his Papi.

He got in and shut the door, then taking of his shoes and placing them neatly together. He walked to the coffee table reaching for his new hearing device. He grinned to himself feeling lucky to have such a caring Papi.

But again he felt he had to tell his Papi about the bullies.

"Papi! I'm home!" He called out making his way to the stairs, he spotted a broken flower vessel. Feeling too excited to finally get the burden off his shoulders he ignored it and climbed the stairs.

In the hallway he gripped the device tightly with courage, heading to his Papi's room. He was forced to put a pause in his tracks when he saw the trace of blood on the wooden floor, his gaze followed the line which stopped under his Papi's door.

"Papi!" He screamed bolting to the door banging on it, calling out for his Papi but no response. He hurried to his room picking up a pair of lemon scissors and running back to the door, inserting the flat blade after parting it in two, and twisting the locked with shaky hands. The door creek and split opened.

He slowly pushed it opened, with his heart racing in his ribcage. First his ghost left him, and his grip became numbed allowing the device to slip through hitting the floor.

His mouth was wide open but no air came from it. He was struck paralyzed by the breathtaking sight of Gregory laying in his own pool of blood, eyes opened staring at the ceiling, clothes ripped and half torn, blood was everywhere on the walls, five particular claws made stripes with blood. He had opened scratch all over his body, but the worst part was his chest. It made Ethan almost wanting to commit suicide. The hole in his chest, the empty hole in his chest where his heart was suppose to be pounding peacefully.

Ethan stumbled to his Papi falling on his knees, he look straight at the heartless hole. No more heart, it was ripped from his chest.

"Papi? Papi?" He called put in a whisper. "PAPI! PAPI! NO! PAPI! GET UP!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, his breathing turning to a hyperventilation but he was careless. He had never felt pained to that extent, he wanted to die along with his Papi...